'Say her name': Montrealers mark one-year since death of Mahsa Amini

“Mahsa Amini, say her name."

That was one of several chants that filled the air in Montreal on Saturday as people around the world gathered to remember Mahsa Amini, who died one year ago to the day.

The death of Kurdish-Iranian Amini, 22, triggered weeks of nationwide protests in her home country and supporting demonstrations around the world in September 2022.

On Sept. 13, 2022, Amini was arrested by Iran’s so-called “morality police” for not wearing her hijab properly. She died three days later.

While authorities said she suffered a heart attack, Amini's supporters believe she was beaten by police and died as a result of her injuries.

Her death sparked worldwide conversations and demonstrations on women’s rights, setting in motion the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement. Iranians called for the overthrow of Iran’s four-decade-old Islamic theocracy, which has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The uprising was met with a violent crackdown in which more than 500 people were killed and in excess of 22,000 others were detained, according to rights groups.

Iran executed seven people in connection with the protests in the months that followed. Rights groups have criticized the country’s judiciary process, accusing Iran of using torture in order to obtain confessions from the accused.

FILE - A portrait of Mahsa Amini is held during a rally calling for regime change in Iran following the death of Amini, a young woman who died after being arrested in Tehran by Iran's notorious "morality police," in Washington, on Oct. 1, 2022. Iran's foreign ministry on Sunday May 21, 2023 summoned the Swiss ambassador, Nadine Lozano, after a Twitter account affiliated with the embassy in Tehran published a photo showing protest icon Mahsa Amini, reported YJC.ir, a website affiliated with Iran’s state TV. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

While the demonstrations have subsided since Amini’s death, her supporters say the anniversary provides a chance to reopen conversations around women’s rights to dress how they wish and limits on government intervention in personal choices, especially in Iran.

“We are not expecting any foreign countries to do the fight for us,” said demonstrator Negin Sepahri.

“But, we are expecting them to stop supporting the Islamic regime. Iran, without the Islamic Republic, has a lot of benefits for the world.”

Similar protests were organized all over the world, including in several Canadian cities. On Friday, Ottawa announced more sanctions against Iranian officials to mark the anniversary.

The new sanctions echo Canada's allies and include members of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, an unelected body that created the morality police. 

-- Published with files from The Associated Press